Round 23: Rabbitohs v Storm preview
Melbourne will be determined to grab the two points to stay clear of the Panthers at the top of the ladder.
In what promises to be a crucial clash at Accor Stadium, both the South Sydney Rabbitohs and Melbourne Storm are coming off disappointing losses that have impacted their standings and morale.
South Sydney's chances of making the 2024 NRL finals were dashed last week after a 20-6 defeat to the Cronulla Sharks at PointsBet Stadium. Despite an early try from fullback Jye Gray, the Rabbitohs struggled to find their rhythm, succumbing to errors and a determined Sharks side. The Rabbitohs only managed a penalty goal after their initial score and were ultimately outclassed in the second half, leaving them in a precarious 15th position on the ladder with only seven wins this season.
Heading into this week's game, South Sydney will be looking to rally with the return of halfback Cody Walker and changes in their lineup, including Michael Chee Kam moving into the back row to replace Jacob Host and Peter Mamouzelos and Shaquai Mitchell joining the bench.
The Melbourne Storm, meanwhile, will be aiming to bounce back from their surprising 18-16 defeat at the hands of the St George Illawarra Dragons, marking their first loss to the Dragons in Melbourne since 1999. Despite Harry Grant's double and a solid start, the Storm were plagued by uncharacteristic errors that allowed the Dragons to stay in the contest and eventually secure a narrow victory. Melbourne's efforts to recover were thwarted in the dying minutes, leaving them with their fourth loss of the season.
The return of prop Tui Kamikamica sees Nelson Asofa-Solomona move to the back row to cover the loss of Eli Katoa, while Chris Lewis joins the bench for his first NRL game since Round 3. Despite the reshuffled lineup to accommodate injuries, including the continued absence of star winger Xavier Coates, the Storm will be determined to reaffirm their dominance over the Rabbitohs, having won nine of their past 11 encounters.
Thursday night's game shapes up as a pivotal moment for both teams as they look to turn their fortunes around.
Last meeting: Round 8 2024 - Storm 54 Rabbitohs 20
Who to watch: Returning from injury, Cody Walker will be looking to help spark his side's attack against the best team in the competition this weekend. After only scoring 6 points against the Cronulla Sharks and having poor execution, Walker will be an important inclusion in this week's lineup to direct the team around the park.
Since replacing injured winger Xavier Coates, Grant Anderson has scored five tries in his last four games and six in the eleven games he has played all season. Averaging over 100 metres per game, the 24-year-old is impressive in both attack and defence.
FAVOURITE: Considering have won nine of their past 11 games against them, the Storm are definitely the outright favourites in this game against the Bunnies.
MY TIP: Although the Storm lost in Round 22, they very rarely lose two games in a row. So I'm sticking with the Storm to take out this one quite convincingly. Storm by 16.
